Produce container



July 4, 1961 w, FQRRER 2,990,947

PRODUCE- CONTAINER Filed Jun 12, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. HOMER W. FORR ER [WWW-7% ATTORNEY July 4, 1961 H. w. FORRER PRODUCE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 12, 1959 33 r lli ill? FIG.4

IO 4 l2 '1 26 A a 1 by aw I I l I 3 H I L- INVENTOR. HOMER "w. FORRER ATTORNEY 'United States Patent Ofice 2,990,947] Patented July 4,, 1961 2,990,947 PRODUCE CONTAINER Homer W. Forrer, East Point, Ga, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Mead Corporation, Dayton, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Filed June 12, 1959, Ser. No. 819,928

6 Claims. (Cl. 206-4531) 1 This invention relates to produce containers and more particularly to containers of the type which are made from paperboard and which are used to ship and display fresh fruits and vegetables Certain cartons currently in use are constructed of paperboard and are provided with a transparent window of plastic material such as polyethylene. Such cartons are very nearly air-tight and hence prevent aeration of their contents. Furthermore, cartons of this type prevent sprinkling of the produce as a fresheningoperation. Also cartons currently in use are not well adapted for packaging items of different sizes.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved produce container which is arranged to aerate its contents and to expose the contents to sprinkling and which, in addition, is adjustable to accommodate items of different sizes. i

Another object of this invention is the provision of an improved produce container which is adaptable to rapid and easy closure by a simple hand operation following filling of the carton.

The invention in one form comprises a paperboard container having a bottom section and sidewalls formed along the front, back and ends of the bottom section, a closure element secured to the back wall and arranged to overlie the top of the container so as to engage and hold the contents therein, the closure element being provided with a plurality of transverse locking slots for selectively receiving a locking tab formed at the lower edge of the front wall of the carton, and a plurality of holding slots formed in the bottom section of the carton adjacent to the locking tab for receiving the outer end of the closure element and for holding the selected locking slot therein in locking relation with the locking tab. Since the closure element may be formed in one or morestrips with spaces therebetween, the contents of the tray portion of the container are exposed to atmosphere so as to provide aeratidn and so as to render the contents accessible for freshem'ng by sprinkling and in addition the several locking slots formed in the closure element render the carton adjustable within limits to accommodate produce such as apples or oranges or other items or different sizes.

The invention will be better understood from the followingfldetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a produce container embodying the invention; FIG.. 2 is a front view of .a container embodying the invention and showing, items of produce packaged therein; FIG. 3 isiaflsectional View taken along the,line13 3 indicated in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blank from which the carton of this invention is formed; and I in which FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a container embodying the invention as viewed from the front and bottom thereof.

With reference to FIG. 4, the numeral 1 designates the bottom section of the container and the numerals 2 and 3 are used to designate the end walls thereof. Numerals 4 and 5 designate the front and back walls respectively of the container. Front wall 4 is provided with end tabs 6 and 7 while back wall 5 is provided with end tabs 8 and 9. End wall 2 is foldably joined to bottom section 1 along fold line 10 while end wall 3 is similarly adjoined to bottom section 1 along fold line 11. Front wall 4 is foldably joined to bottom section 1 along fold lines 12 and 13 while the back wall 5' is foldably joined to the bottom section 1 at fold line 14. Fold lines 15 and 16 are formed in end panel 2 and the inner surface portions indicated by stipling-at 17 and 18- are provided with adhesive and are united with the outer surfaces of s end tabs 7 and 9 respectively of front and back panel 4 and 5 to form collapsible corners in a manner well known in the art. In similar fashion the end wall 3 is provided with slotted fold lines 19 and 20 which define stipled areas 21 and 22 on which adhesive is deposited, the triangles 20 and 21 being aflixed to the outer surfaces of end panels 6 and 8 respectively to form collapsible corners for the container.

According to the invention one end of the closure element 23 is adjoined to or formed integrally along the top edge of back wall 5 and is provided at its other end with a plurality of locking slots 24 together with generally coincidental transverse score lines 25. Since the locking tab 26 is formed integrally with or secured to the front panel 4, the locking tab 26 extends downwardly when the front wall 4 is disposed vertically. Thus when the closure element 23 is folded over the top of the carton and around the front wall 4 thereof one of the lock ing slots 24 receives the locking tab 26. Since there may be several locking slots in the closure element 23, a particular slot can be selected to accommodate the particular contents of the carton, that is, whether large or small, and in this manner the carton is rendered readily adjustable. As is best shown in FIG. 5, the end of the closure element 23 designated by the numeral 27 is slipped into a particular holding slot 28, 28A or 28B 'so as to secure the closure element in locking engagement with the locking tab 26. Furthermore, as will be readily apparent, the contents of the produce container are exposed to atmosphere due to the fact that the closure element 23 does not fully cover the contents but is con- 'structed to provide spaced open areas along the top of the container.

The carton illustrated in the drawings incorporates a closure element 23 constructed of two strips 23A and 23B which at one end adjoin the back wall 5 of the container and which have their other ends united by an in tegral locking panel generally designated by the numeral 29.

Since one of the uses of the produce container is to 7 package spherical objects such as apples, oranges, and the like, which conceivably could be damaged along their surfaces by the edgesof strips 23A and 23B unless suitable precautions are taken, provision is made for scalloping the edges of the strips 23A and 23B so as to provide aresilient cushioning edge. in accordance with one facet of the invention. For example, as is best shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of scallops 30 are formed along each edge of the closure strip 23B while a plurality of similar scallops 31 are formed along the edges of the closure strip 23A.-

. In addition a score line 32 is formed at the bases of each scallop 30 so as to weaken the body of the board at the bases of the scallops to facilitate bending of each scallop and thereby to provide a yieldable resilient edge for engaging the items packaged. In like fashion a score line 33 is provided along the bases of scallops 31. Preferably though not necessarily the scallops should be of diiferent lengths as is indicated in FIG. 4. In FIGS. 2 and 3 the fact that the scallops yield upon engagement with the exterior of spherical items packaged within the container is illustrated.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention I do not wish to be limited thereto and intend in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A paperboard produce container comprising a generally rectangular bottom section, front, back, and end walls 'foldably joined to the front, back, and end edges respectively of said bottom section, a closure strapsecured to said back fall along the top edge thereof and adapted to extend over and partially around the con} tainer, aplurality of scallops formed along the edgesof said strap for yieldably engaging the surfaces of items packaged in the container, a score line formed along each edge of said strap and generally parallel thereto, each score line being disposed at the bases of its associated scallops to facilitate bending thereof thereby to render the edges of said strap yieldable, a locking tab formed along the bottom edge of said front wall, a pluralityof locking slots formed in said closure strap and arranged selectively to receive said locking tab, and a holding slot formed in said bottom wall and disposed in angular relation to the front edge thereof and arranged to receive the end of said closure strap and to maintain said locking slot and said locking tab in locking relation. 1 V

2. A paperboard produce container adapted for packaging a plurality of generally spherically shaped items comprising a bottom section, front and back walls of a height less than the diameter of the smallest of the items to be packaged and foldably joined to the front and back edges respectively of said bottom section, a closure strap secured to said back wall along the top edge thereof and adapted to extend over and partially around the container and disposed generally between adjacent ones of the packaged items, the edges of said strap being spaced somewhat from the centers of the adjacent ones of the items, a plurality of scallops formed along the edges of said strap for yieldably engaging the surfaces of items packaged in the container, a locking tab formed along the bottom edge of said front wall, a locking slot formed in said closure strap and arranged to receive said locking tab, said locking slot being positioned in said strap so that when said locking tap is received therein the packaged items protrude somewhat above the part of said strap which extends over the said items, and a holding slot formed in said bottom wall and arranged to receive the end of said closure strap and to maintain said locking slot and said locking tab in locking relation.

3. A paperboard produce container comprising a bottom section, front and back walls foldably joined to the front and back edges respectively of said bottom section,

a closure strap secured to said back wall along the top edge thereof and adapted to extend over and partially around the container, a locking tab formed along the bottom edge of said front wall, a plurality of locking slots formed in said closure strap and arranged selectively to receive said locking tab, a plurality of score lines formed transversely of said strapand respectively in general coincidence with said locking slots to facilitate bending of said strap around thelower edge of said front wall, and a plurality of holding slots formed in said bottom wall in spaced angular relation to the front edge thereof and arranged to receive the end of said closure strap and to 4 t maintain a selected one of said locking slots and said locking tab in locking relation.

4. A paperboard produce container comprising a bottom section, front and back walls foldably joined to the front and back edges respectively of said bottom section, a closure strap secured to said back wall along the top edge thereof and adapted to extend over and partially around the container, a locking tab formed along the bottom edge Ofsaid front wall, a plurality of locking slots formed in said closure strap for selectively receiving said locking tab, and a plurality of holding slots formed in said bottom wall generally adjacent said locking tab for selectively receiving the end of said closure strap and for maintaining a selected one of said locking slots and said locking tab in locking relation. I H

5 A paperboard container comprising a bottom section, front and back walls foldably joined to the front and back edges respectively of said bottom section, a plurality of closure straps spaced along and secured to said back wall along the top edge thereof and adapted to extend over and partially around the container, each strap being disposed generally between adjacent ones of the packaged items, a locking panel forming a junction for the ends of said closure straps remote from said back Wall, a looking tab formed along the bottom edge of said front wall, a plurality of locking slots formed in said locking panel and arranged to receive said locking tab, and holding means formed in said bottom wall and spaced from said front wall for maintaining the outer part of said locking panel between said locking tab and said holding means in flat engagement with the outside of said bottom'wall and for retaining the outer end portion of said locking panel in flat engagement with the inside of said bottom wall thereby to maintain one of said locking slots and said locking tab in locking relation.

6; A paperboard produce container comprising a bottom section, front and back walls foldably joined to the front and back edges respectively of said bottom section, a plurality of closure straps spaced along and secured to said back wall along the top edge thereof and adapted to extend over and partially around the container, a locking panel forming a junction for the ends of said closure straps remote. from said back wall, a locking tab formed along the bottom edge of said front wall, a plurality of locking slots formed in said locking panel and arranged selectively to receive said locking tab, and a plurality of holding slots formed in said bottom wall adjacent said locking tab for selectively receiving said locking panel and to maintain a selected one of said locking slots and saidlocking tab in locking relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 521,141 Fitch June 5, 1894. 1,896,603 Andrews Feb. 7, 1933 1,923,065 Clemens Aug. 22, 1933 1,980,843 Andrews Nov. 13, 1934 2,467,702 Smart Apr. 19, 1949 2,776,082 Bennorth Jan; 1, 1957 

